Energy efficiency and popularity of rooftop PV

SMART ELECTRIC, ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES

A comprehensive assessment of home energy use and opportunities for improvements can produce dividends but where do you start? Maybe by calling specialist

advisor Tim Forcey

who has helped more than 1000 homeowners improve their surrounds and highlights the enduring popularity of rooftop PV.

“Past history is not always a good indicator of the size of rooftop PV system needed and that is what installers do – examine bills and usage – when they need to consider future use of batteries and EVs.”

TIM FORCEY

THOSE WHO LIVE IN A ‘LEAKY TENT’ find hot summers and cold winters exasperating, no matter the amount of heating or cooling, once the desired temperature is reached the warmed or cooled air gradually leaches out and it’s back to square one. Too hot or too cold and too high a power bill.

According to home energy efficiency expert Tim Forcey those living in inefficient one-star houses might be spending up to $5000 a year to run equipment including ducted gas heating.

That is one of the ‘hot’ issues dealt with by the Melbourne-based specialist who suggests owners ditch their gas systems and convert to more efficient air conditioning split systems, preferably powered by solar PV and used when the sun’s shining.

“For years air conditioners were demonised, older models were inefficient and costly to run but all that has changed with today’s more sophisticated systems,” he said. “I’ve tried to get the story out that air conditioners are good things. In winter they harvest free renewable energy from the heat outside the house and many homeowners could be saving hundreds of dollars a year by turning on the air con they already own by finding the heat button!”

In the five years since the not-retired-as-planned Tim started his rounds as an energy expert he estimates he’s visited about 1,000 homes. During each three-hour visit he forensically examines housing structure for gaps and air leaks using a thermal imaging device and subsequently draws up a list of practical improvements.

Replacement of gas heating systems with electric space heaters is one of his top four recommendations along with insulation, draught proofing and a hot water replacement plan.

“Proper insulation is the low hung fruit, it’s an easy and an important fix,” says Tim who has seen all sorts of horrors in ceiling cavities including instances where large bulky bags of insulation have simply been dumped, or cases where insulation has been disrupted and not properly restored causing significant heat loss.

“As for draught proofing, sometimes you can stick your fingers through cavities above or below walls and doors, areas people just haven’t spotted and that go unaddressed and that’s why I often refer to homes as glorified tents,” he said.

The use of a scientific blower door test detects the leaks by measuring air changes that on a blustery day can occur once or twice every minute or two making it impossible for residents to stay comfortable.

Smart hot water

Mindful of environmental imperatives Tim’s no fan of the fossil fuel gas and frequently recommends replacement of gas-fired hot water systems with hot water heat pumps, telling clients “If a water heating system breaks down the chances are the plumber will replace it as it’s the quickest alternative and it’s hard to put up a fight, but an investment in a hot water heat pump makes sense in the long term and it’s powered by renewable energy.”

Eliminating all gas use in the home (for space heating, water heating and cooking) also means the end of the fixed supply charge of around $1 a day said Tim who was raised on a dairy farm in the US and has always felt a connection with the land and the natural world.

The qualified chemical engineer who joined Exxon has, since 1990, been “quietly watching the science of climate change”. To better understand the unfolding scenario he undertook Al Gore training.

“What is the globe apart from a giant physical laboratory? We have runaway warming that is going to cook us, if this was a chemical plant you would not be able to operate it or get it under control!

“This is all about saving the planet for those who come after us,” said Tim who is also spreading key messages to the tens of thousands who subscribe to the increasingly popular My Efficient Electric Home (MEEH) Facebook page he founded with architect Jenny Edwards and Richard Keech of Enhar.

The greatest interest among subscribers, they have found, has always been in solar power and they are happy to peddle the range of financial and environmental benefits of rooftop PV.

Interest in solar energy continues to soar

“Solar power continues to be the big drawcard in terms of electric homes, most of MEEH’s new members want to learn all about solar PV; those who have it wonder if they need more or to add a battery, storage is a huge driver of interest but we don’t see batteries as an economic proposition as yet.

“Our best advice is to get a quote for the biggest solar system you can fit on the roof. Feed-in tariffs are declining and in some cases exports are being limited and this needs to be factored in but that will be all the more reason to consider batteries.

“Past history is not always a good indicator of the size of rooftop PV system needed and that

“...sometimes you can stick your fingers through cavities above or below walls and doors, areas people just haven’t spotted and that go unaddressed and that’s why I often refer to homes as glorified tents.”

is what installers do – examine bills and usage – when they need to consider future use of batteries and EVs,” said Tim who has upgraded his own rooftop PV system three times over 15 years.

“Of the close to 30,000 members of the My Efficient Electric Home forum most have or will have solar PV and we are yet to find one person who claims to have too large a system,” he chuckled.

System designers will no doubt be pleased to pass on what appears to be a common conviction: the bigger the solar system, the smarter the move. Electrification of households is the way of the future, starting yesterday. http://timforcey.com.au

If the name Tim Forcey is familiar, it’s because he’s featured in The Age Domain, the Herald Sun, on Channel 9 television, and on ABC radio in Victoria and interstate. He’s also published a series of articles in The Conversation, Renew Magazine, the Fifth Estate and regularly presents addresses to community groups. He’s also advised energy companies, local councils and over the years has helped inform the Victorian government on VEET ratings and home energy opportunities.

SYDNEY CITY USHERS IN A NEW ENERGY EFFICIENT ERA

The City of Sydney is introducing energy targets for Development Applications in a bid to make new office buildings, hotels and shopping centres more energy efficient and boost the use of renewable energy.

From January 2023 major redevelopments of existing buildings must comply with minimum energy standards on the path to achieving net-zero energy output by 2026.

Benefits come in many forms, slashing $1.3 billion in energy bills from 2023 to 2040 for investors, businesses and occupants, saving office owners $2,750 per 1,000 square metres of floor area and hotel owners $170 per room each year.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the updated DA’s will help the City of Sydney meet its target of netzero emissions by 2035 and that the performance standards can be used by all councils across Greater Sydney.

The changes will also support investment in renewable energy and create jobs in regional areas as already seen through CoS investment in several wind and solar farms, she explained.